Tips for restoring a radio

[zaika]

It's me...again. Starting a new thread...again.

So...I have my great-grandparents' floor model Airline radio. I have no idea what year it was made...but my mom had it for years, and after she passed, I took it. However...it's in sad shape. All of the "guts" are still there, but the board it's on is loose, knobs are missing, the cloth over the the speakers are ripped in two places, some of the varnish is worn, etc.

I would love nothing more than to have this thing restored so I can use it. I've done a few searches online, and there are a lot of reputable looking restorers out there. However...most are on the east coast, and the *one* person I found who is local (so far, anyway) isn't taking on any more projects.

So, I come to you for some advice! Hopefully someone here has had a radio restored.

What should I look for in a restorer? What are the reasonable rates? If I have to ship somewhere, would you recommend it? And what is the best way to ship?

Thanks in advance!

 

[dhermann1]

I suggest emailing some of the guys on RadioAttic.com. Shipping a console radio is a dicey proposition. Most people would probably prefer to have to bring it to them, and especially pick it up yourself when it's restored. You might be able to find some to restore the cabinet locally, and have the chassis (the radio guts) done by some one else, then reunite the two yourself. That part is not so hard. If you do, you'll be joining a nice little fraternity/sorority of console radio owners here in the Lounge. I just dote on mine. Could you post some pics?

 

[zaika]

ooh. those are some good ideas. i'll definately do that.

sure, i'll post pics! i'll take some tonight and put them up.

 

[Flivver]

I agree with dhermann1 that it would be best to have the cabinet restored locally. However, quite often even some pretty rough cabinets can be cleaned up to look presentable without total restoration. Most radio cabinets of this era were finished with sprayed-on tinted lacquer. This finish can *not* be reproduced with stain and varnish. Unless the original lacquer finish is peeling off, there's a good chance it can be brought back without refinishing. You can probably do this yourself at home.

I'm afraid I don't know of anyone in your area to recommend for chassis restoration. One resource you might find helpful is "Antique Radio Classified". Their website is:

www.antiqueradio.com

They will send you a free sample issue. Sources for repro knobs and grille cloth can be found there. There are also many classified ads for radios and radio parts for sale as well as folks who do restoration.

 

[zaika]

Thank you Flivver! That's hopeful! I'll definitely be taking a look at that website.

Here are some pics!

And who knew by poking around in the back that I'd find a lot of information about it? lol I can be so dense sometimes...

 

[dhermann1]

I'd say that baby is in much better shape than you originally described. Reproduction grill cloth is available, if I find the packaging mine came in I'll give you the address. That's another thing you could do yourself. Looks like 9 tubes, a pretty nice set.
I'm thinking that's a Magic Eye in the center of the front. The Magic Eye looked like a real green eye, and lit up brightly when you were tuned in to the station. Tres cool.
Edit: Check this out, a Magic Eye (!)
http://www.akh.se/tubes/eyes.htm

 

[Hawkcigar]

It doesn't look like this place does repairs but they are in your area and might be able to point you toward someone that could help with the project.

Portland Antique Radio

You might also consider posting on the forums at antiqueradios.com I have found the group there to be quite helpful and patient with new collectors.

 

[Earp]

Hi Zaika,

I'm quite inclined to agree with dherman about the condition of that set. I would strongly suggest that you try a product called "Restore-A-Finish" on it. It doesn't dissolve or melt the old finish. As it says in the ads, it's used to "restore the original color and luster to your finish while blending out the blemishes and minor scratches. It cleans the surface and restores the finish in one step - without removing any of the existing finish. With a simple wipe-on, wipe-off process, most finished wood surfaces that seem to need a refinishing job can be completely restored in a few minutes. White heat rings and water marks, sun fade, oxidation, smoke damage, and most other blemishes can be quickly eliminated. Before you go to the extreme of stripping it, try restoring it!"

So as you can see, there's a good chance you can keep your original finish and not have to mess with harsh chemicals or stripping, etc. You'd be surprised how well it works. A lot of sets are unnecessarily stripped and ruined when the finish just needed a little elbow grease and TLC.

You can find out more about "Restore-A-Finish" here:

http://www.radiodaze.com/

Nope, I don't have any ties with these companies, nor do I receive anything for my recommendation. Just good stuff that can work wonders.

You can also get grill cloth and knobs and lots more cool stuff from this same place.

One caveat however -- restoring old radios is very addictive. You might get hooked and start looking for more "fixer uppers" to feed your habit.

--Wyatt--

 

[RetroToday]

Hi zaika,

Great radio!

When you find a radio electronics restorer nearby, you might want to give them this link, if they use a computer:

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/Resources/935/M0011935.htm

I believe this is the schematic for the electronics in your radio set. PDF format.
Yours may be very slightly different as the model number is a little longer, but this schematic should help with the restoration.

BTW, Wards Airline radios were built for Montgomery Ward, the retailer.

Good luck on the restoration.

 

[dingus]

Zaika, that's a lovely radio. I particularly like the tuner and the eye.

Also Hawkcigar, I wanted to thank you for the link to antiqueradios.com -- I have a 1946 Philco which just needs some tubes replaced to work again, and that looks like the perfect forum to ask about it.

 

[Hawkcigar]

Zaika, that's a lovely radio. I particularly like the tuner and the eye.

Also Hawkcigar, I wanted to thank you for the link to antiqueradios.com -- I have a 1946 Philco which just needs some tubes replaced to work again, and that looks like the perfect forum to ask about it.

You're very welcome for the link and it is a good forum. Unless your Philco is missing tubes there is a very good chance that the tubes are fine. At the very least they will probably recommend that you replace the filter capacitors and better yet, all the capacitors in the radio. I think it's also a good idea to check the power cord closely and replace if it shows any signs of wear at all. Safety is a major concern with old radios. Good luck with it and post a pic so we can all see!

 

[zaika]

oh boy!! thank you, everyone, for your suggestions and links!! i definitely have some work to do, and i'm REALLY excited to start getting this radio the TLC it deserves. not to mention that trippy Magic Eye...

if you have more ideas or websites or anything, i hope you post them.

Earp - you might be right. i keep running across all these old radios and wishing to God i had a couple thousand dollars to spend. *sigh* [huh] actually, a radio is currently en route that i purchased this weekend. i don't expect it to be in perfect condition, but it at least looks cool. lol maybe next month i'll splurge on a totally restored radio... lol

 

[dhermann1]

BTW, Zaika, love the hair!

 

[zaika]

aw. thanks, dhermann1!!

 

[LizzieMaine]

And I'd just add that your Airline console is quite likely a 1940 model --- that "Television Sound" input was a fad on many radios made during that year. It was designed to be used with the low-end video-only TV sets sold by RCA and others, and was actually just a simple audio input jack. So if you wanted, you could plug in the line-out signal from your phono or other audio device, and listen thru the big speaker without having to use a transmitter.

 

[Warbaby]

Hi Zaika,

I'm quite inclined to agree with dherman about the condition of that set. I would strongly suggest that you try a product called "Restore-A-Finish" on it. (SNIP)

I'll second that recommendation for Howard's Restore-A-Finish. I've been using it on antiques for years and have always had great results with it. Howard's also makes a product called Feed-N-Wax that is excellent for finishes that are in relatively good condition.

 

[plain old dave]

Thoughts....

The biggest issue is the capacitors. ALL of them. You see, vintage iron (i.e. electric, or vacuum tube, radios) uses electrolytic capacitors. Electrolytic caps have a paste in them that dries up over time; the easy way to tell if you have bad caps is if the rig hums after it warms up. They ALL should be replaced, regardless, with more modern dry capacitors. Only mild prob is high voltage caps aren't something your local electronic parts store will have in stock.

Another thought might be find an old timer ham in your area that has a gadget called a variac. This is used to SLOWLY bring the voltage in the circuit up to spec so any faulty caps (or other components) can be easily detected.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

The Mohawk tone spray that Radio Daze carries, is good stuff to use too.